The invention concerns a baler with a parallelepiped or slab-shaped baling chamber and a baling piston enclosed in it that is free to move.
The prospectus xe2x80x9cGREENLAND Large Baler Vario Industryxe2x80x9d, no publication date, discloses a large baler with a baling channel that can be adjusted in 5 cm. steps between a height of 0.65 m. and 0.8 m. In this way bales of different dimensions can be produced.
The problem underlying the invention is seen in the fact that the conversion to a different channel cross section requires approximately one day. Furthermore at present a greater range of channel cross sections is being demanded.
According to the present invention, there is provided a baler for making parallelepiped bales and having an easily adjustable baling chamber.
A broad object of the invention is to provide a baler having a baling chamber for forming parallelepiped bales and the cross section of which can be easily changed as desired and made to conform to the size, particularly the height, of the transport vehicle available for the particular field.
Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable baling chamber, as set forth in the preceding object, together with an adjustable needle arrangement whereby the needles and with them the entire tying arrangement is located on a movable upper chamber housing part, so that the spacial arrangement of the needles relative to the tying arrangement does not change when this part is repositioned, so that a secure engagement of the needle points in the knot tying device is assured.
Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable baling chamber, as set forth in the foregoing objects, and together with this to incorporate structure providing the ability to reposition a drive, for example, a flywheel drive with a crank arm or a hydraulic motor together with the repositioning of the upper chamber part such that the force of the driver is always applied to the center of the baling piston so that it occupies a secure and centered end position.
A more specific object is to provide spindles, spreader linkages and the like as possible actuators for the repositioning of the upper chamber part, or more advantageously to use of motors, particularly remote controlled motors since these are simple devices which can transmit large forces.
Another specific object is to construct the side surfaces of the baling channel such as to cover the entire height, so no crop to be baled can escape and cause jams. If the side walls extend in one-piece configuration from above or below, a smooth surface results with low frictional resistance; if upper and lower walls are provided, that overlap vertically, then the entire side walls do not project either at the top or at the bottom. Depending on the dimensions selected such a large vertical repositioning movement can be attained so that an access from the outside into the baling chamber is possible.
A light-weight configuration of the baler can be attained by arranging the large components, particularly the cover or top and the bottom, as well as the side walls of the baling chamber, as a light-weight design so that the forces are absorbed by a few massive components, for example, the repositioning arrangement, which surround the baling chamber and carry and reposition the chamber top and portions of the side walls.
Another object of the invention is to configure an upper region of the baling piston as a collection of ribs such that a generally closed baling surface of the baling piston results, which leads to a uniform compression. The baling piston can be subdivided actually, not only conceptually, into an upper and a lower part. Slots in the chamber top or cover, for example, as an alternative to a large opening have the advantage that the ribs can extend through them and that the cover encloses the baling chamber at the sides as much as possible. The change of the cross section of the baling chamber can then be performed by lowering or raising the cover and letting the ribs extend to a greater or lesser distance through the slots.
The actual subdivision of the baling piston into two parts leads to a simplification of the manufacturing process.
The covering of the baling chamber at its sides does not stand in the way of a repositioning in height if the side walls extend into slots in the moving or the stationary part of the housing and are able to penetrate more or less deeply into the slots.
The accommodation of the position of the needles to the knot tying devices can be accomplished easily if openings are provided in the base body through which the needle support arms and journals connected to the movable part of the repositioning arrangement can extend.
If instead of a change in the height of the bale, its width can be varied, not only the height of the platform of the transport vehicle can be accommodated, but its length and width can be accommodated as well and an optimum loading can be achieved. In principle the repositioning arrangement would only need to be rotated through 90xc2x0 and extended in the horizontal direction. The piston ribs would then not be extended vertically, but horizontally. If the supply channel is made to accommodate the cross section or is equipped with guide vanes a uniform supply across the entire width is assured.